The human body is complex and is often difficult for clinicians to examine internally to diagnose and treat a patient's illness. Cameras play an important part in modern medicine as a tool to aide clinicians in looking within a patient's body. Usually medical cameras are part of larger medical device, such as endoscopes, thermo-vision cameras, or laparoscopes. The cameras are usually digital, fiber optic, or pixelated sensor arrays. The cameras made with a pixelated sensor array may contain a single charge coupled assembly (CCD) or complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) chip, or they may have multiple chips. The number of chips affects the size and resolution of the camera, and as a result limits where the camera can be used within the patient's body. There are therapeutic applications where smaller cameras or assemblies would be advantageous.
Recently, an assembly that can reach more remote areas within the body has been developed. This assembly is disclosed in United States Published Patent Application 2005/0020926. This assembly can be adapted to treat as well as to produce images of diseased or damaged tissue.